The President of the Republic Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović presented the Charter of the Republic of Croatia to restorers and conservators as an expression of recognition and gratitude for their work and their contribution to the development and progress of the Republic of Croatia.
“With this recognition I wish to express special gratitude to all of you, because by restoring, protecting and showcasing our heritage, you educate all of us, especially our children and youth to be responsible heirs of the rich Croatian cultural heritage, which is the cornerstone of our national identity and memories”, President Grabar-Kitarović stated and emphasized that unfortunately the work of numerous experts is insufficiently known by the general public.
She noted that tourists are attracted by our cultural heritage, 9,519 of them are inscribed in the Registrar of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia. “A total of 27 cultural heritage artifacts and attributes of the Republic of Croatia are inscribed In UNESCO’s World Heritage List of which 17 belong to intangible cultural heritage, the Republic of Croatia being one of the leaders in Europe and the world. We should particularly thank the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Conservation Institute for their protection, restoration and presentation”, the President of the Republic stated, underlining Diocletian’s Palace, architectural-urbanistic works of art of Dubrovnik and Trogir, the Cathedral of Šibenik and the Euphrasius Basilica in Poreč as Croatia’s largest unique monument.
She thanked the restorers and conservators for their work of repair and restoration, saying that the recognitions presented are an expression of thanks to the profession “which made a major contribution to the preservation of our national identity during the war and postwar years, including all the decades in which our national conscience was suppressed”.
The President mentioned inter alia the ethnographic heritage, which makes us recognizable throughout the world primarily thanks to our emigrants, alluding to the national costumes, the Klapa multipart singing and the Bećarac singing as well as the Međimurska popevka, a folksong from Međimurje also inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
“Croatian folklore groups in all corners of the world are proud to be adorned in their attire that has been brought and preserved since antiquity. Therefore, for this attire to remain not only in our recollections, but also in reality, preserved and ready for our contemporary festivities of songs and dances, we are grateful to the Rental Workshop of National Costumes, which is celebrating 70 years of work just like the Croatian Conservation Institute”, the President noted in her address.
For outstanding contribution in the continuous preservation and restoration of immovable cultural heritage, and particularly for the concern shown for the demolished cultural monuments and the historic centres in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, the Charter of the Republic of Croatia is presented to the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture. For outstanding contribution to the restoration and return of immovable Croatian cultural heritage, on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, the Charter of the Republic of Croatia is presented to the Croatian Conservation Institute, and for outstanding contribution to the preservation of the traditional textile cultural heritage and for promoting the awareness on the esthetic value of national costumes significant for the history and culture of the Croatian people, and on the occasion of its 70th anniversary it is awarded to the Rental Workshop of National Costumes.
Source: President of Croatia